Experiences and negotiation of community support amongst older people in Nigeria

To promote wellbeing amongst older people, there is a need for support through the community, as family support and other forms of support might not be sufficient to meet the demands of a growing population. Several studies have been carried out on family support in Nigeria but little is known about support from community members. Therefore, this research used a qualitative methodology to explore and get an in-depth perspective of how community support is negotiated and experienced by older people in Nigeria. Photo-elicited interviews were conducted amongst seventeen older people aged 65 years and above and semi-structured interview was conducted amongst six community and religious leaders in the community. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the study which include “What we have become” “I am old but a human” “Social norms” “Spirituality”. The findings show that the condition (health, social and physical) of older people, societal and religious obligation influences the way they experience and negotiate for support. Spiritual support was a type of support, which was more valued by older people. This is because it is linked to other types of support and the major support provided by the stakeholders. Importantly, the characteristics and structure of social networks such as proximity, reachability and homogeneity affect older people's choice of support network members. The implication to practice is that it highlights the significance of spiritual support and the importance of the church in providing this support to older people including those who are not part of their religious community. In addition, to highlight the importance of the influence of societal norms in the negotiation of support even in a changing world